TES Global, the digital education company, has launched a School Portal that will cut the time spent on recruitment in schools. Built following in-depth research with teachers, it includes online application tracking, management tools and free job listings on new school jobs boards on tes.com.

Schools are working harder to secure quality talent with teacher shortages in some subjects and regions. With YouGov research revealing 31% of job searchers think applying for jobs is time-consuming, it is important that schools use tools that make it easier for top talent.

Traditional recruitment is still admin heavy when leaders stress the need for speed to be competitive. YouGov research shows that 93% of leaders have had to secure a candidate on the day of interview. A well designed process can help schools plan ahead, be flexible and move fast when needed.

With 71% of schools having to re-run job adverts for teaching positions more often, TES subscriptions are already allowing schools to be more flexible. They can post roles as often as they need on tes.com.

At the same time, job seeking teachers are digital consumers. They are becoming more vocal about how hard it can be to apply for jobs. Some 79% of candidates see standardised application processes as important and many look for new jobs on mobile devices in free moments. Yet, the traditional process has been complex and different for each school.

In response to these needs, the TES School Portal makes the recruitment and application process more simple and convenient. The portal contains an integrated toolkit of features:

● Online advertising and advert performance tracking - allows recruiters to place job adverts in a few simple clicks, understand how their adverts are performing, and learn from past results.

● School Jobs Board - a single destination for a school to feature all their jobs for free and promote their employer brand to candidates all year round. It can be linked from a school’s main website and other job sites to take advantage of data tracking and all the other School Portal benefits.

● Applicant Tracking System - a simple applicant management tool where schools can review and shortlist candidates. It facilitates better communications with colleagues and candidates, while making a note of talent for future roles.

● TES Online Application Form - a standardised format developed through analysis of thousands of fields, containing all the information schools have said they need. It takes the complexity out of the traditional form and will encourage more candidates to apply for jobs online or on their mobiles.

● Career Profiles - teachers are now able to update their full career details or store them from any past applications so they can spend more time on their personal statement. Time poor candidates will be able to start and complete their applications across multiple devices.

Richard Lynn, Headmaster of The Dixie Grammar School in Leicestershire said:

“The School Portal makes adding jobs straightforward. While the statistics associated with the adverts provide fascinating insights. These new features, combined with our advertising subscription, are making recruitment more simple. I have no doubt that the subscription has helped us attract far higher quality applications. We were successful in filling all ten posts advertised this last year. These included some posts, such as in our physics department, where we have struggled to attract any applicants at all. It was a delight to have a strong shortlist for this type of post.”

Craig Stevens, Chief Commercial Officer at TES said:

‘We understand the pain points facing schools and teachers right now. Schools are competing for quality talent and digital savvy teachers are battling complex applications. The new TES School Portal simplifies the entire recruitment process. We are making it easier and less time consuming for recruiters to find the best talent and candidates their dream jobs.’